How to be Sorted into the Wrong House and Live to Tell the Tale
by O.o.O.BrianaRose.O.o.O
Summary: Lily Potter is sorted into Slytherin during her first year. Her story through her schools time. Making friends, enemies, and meeting the love of her life. But getting there is an adventure, one with many mistakes.


**Chapter one: I'm Lily Potter... Yes Harry's Daughter**

Lily Luna Potter had never been very good at guessing the time. When her brother, James Potter, enters her room she supposes it to be somewhere around one in the morning. The yelling her parents pretended she couldn't hear had stopped some time ago, so it had to be past midnight,but Lily had never been able to stay up much past two, even in her most worried states (she slept terribly when she was worried about something), so she knew it must be before then.

_Only- _she does some math in her head_ -ten hours until I'm on the train to Hogwarts! _School is driven from her head, though, when she sees the look in her brother's eyes. Lily quickly sits up in her bed and uses her _"_accidental" magic (her Uncle George had helped her and all her many cousins harness the magic children normally have no control over) to set fire to the oil lamps in her room. Lily never liked electricity.

"Before you ask, because I know you will, yes, you can come in and, yes, we can talk," Lily says to her brother's figure. She watches him run his hand through his copper hair, his most prominent nervous habit. She smiles at him and he obviously relaxes. He closes Lily's door behind him as he moves towards her, still not speaking.

"Okay, Jamie," Lily says as he sits on her bed, folding his legs into a pretzel shape Lily always found amusing. "Tell me whats wrong."

James shyly looks down at his lap as Lily knew he would. When he glances up she makes a face at him. He makes one back, she giggles and soon they are howling with laughter, desperately trying to avoid waking up everyone else.

The two siblings slowly relax into a comfortable silence, a sound rarely heard in their house.

"Thank you, Lily" James whispers, looking her in the eye.

"For?" She giggles, "you haven't even told me what's wrong yet." His cheeks turn red.

"It's dad," James whispers.

"I know that much, Jamie. Why else would you be here?"

James sighs before answering, "He told me that if I don't do better in potions, he'll stop me from playing quidditch. It's like... he wants me to be good at everything!"

"He can't take you out of quidditch, can he?" Lily asks. James ignores her and continues ranting.

"Why can't he accept that I don't want to be an auror! I'm not him!" James's face flushes again, but this time in anger.

"An auror?" Lily asks.

"Yeah," James says, calming down slightly. "It's the newest thing he wants from me."

"Does he do this to Albus?" Lily asks.

"Not that I've ever heard, then again, Al doesn't talk to us much anymore," James responds. "I wonder why it's just me."

"Its because he knows you can be amazing, James," Lily says cheerfully. She lowers her voice slightly, "he's not the greatest father, but-"

"-Don't say that, Lily!" He responds quickly, "he's great, he just-"

"-Never had a great example," Lily finishes. "I know."

James falls backwards on the bed. Lily crawls over to him, pulls him back up and gives him a big hug. "What do I do, Lily?" James says after a few moments.

"Be who _you _want to be, of course!" Lily says. "Do what makes _you _happy. Would you rather be someone you're not your whole life?"

"I wish you understood," he says quietly.

"What don't I understand, James?" She says.

"Dad loves you more them Al and I, Lily! He would never pressure you into a career you don't want. You're the youngest, the only girl..." he trails off. Lily tries to absorb what James just told her. Of course she knew dad favored her, but he doesn't love her more, does he?

He couldn't.

"James, I..."Lily starts, unsure of what to say.

He sighs. "I'm sorry for being mad. You helped me so much... I shouldn't be upset with you." James says after a few moments. Lily reaches across her bed and pulls James into a hug.

"I forgive you. I understand why you're upset," Lily says. James holds her tighter and she relaxes and she relaxes against her older brother's chest. She could feel his muscles through his flimsy night shirt, proof he took quidditch more seriously then anything else.

Eventually James pulls away. He looks her in the eye and asks, "You're worried?" It's less of a question and more of a way to close their previous conversation. Lily opens her mouth to protest but knows better.

"Yes," She simply states.

"Hogwarts?" He questions.

"Well... Hogwarts houses... but yes," She responds.

"You know, Lil, you have no reason to be worried. I know everyone always is when they start Hogwarts , but they never have a real reason to be. You more then everyone else! If you're a Gryfindor then you're a Gryfindor. If not you have Louis, Roxanne and the Scamander twins in Ravenclaw, Rosie in Slytherin, and Molly in Hufflepuff. Someone will always be there looking out for you."

Lily looks up at him, her favorite brother, he smiles down at her.

"I'm not worried about being alone, though. I'm worried about-"

"-Dad." He finishes.

Lily smiles, she really loved it when he finished her sentences.

Her smile fades quickly, though. "I know he sad he doesn't care, but he does. Sometimes I think that he's more against Slytherins then Uncle Ron, and I didn't think that was possible. When Albus owled home about being in Gryfindor he was so relieved. He supported him in distancing himself from Rose! Dad and I are close. If I'm not a Gryfindor he'll be disappointed in me."

As she spoke, Lily's ears got redder and redder. James holds her tight to him and she doesn't argue. Lily thinks she understands how he feels. _He wants to protect me and I've made him feel bad because there's nothing he can do, _but she didn't say anything.

"He wouldn't be disappointed in you," James reassures.

Lily doesn't respond. She just continues to relax against James's chest.

When James finally speaks, Lily jumps. "You know I'll _always_ be there for you."

Lily nods, knowing he understands.

Silently, James lays Lily down in her bed and tucks her in. When he's does, James kisses Lily's forehead and walks around the room to each oil lamp and blows them out. When James reaches the last lamp, Lily calls out.

"I love you, James." He turns around and in the dimmed room, Lily thinks he looks likes he's on fire. His read hair sticks up in all directions and the lamp behind him completes the illusion.

"I love you forever, Lily."James turns around, blows the lamp out and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

For a few minutes, Lily just started at her door. This conversation with James, like all the others, gave her something to think about. This time, though, the idea is so wrong. Something no Potter, or Weasley for that matter, should think.

_I don't want to be a Gryfindor._

* * *

"Lily!" Albus Potter yells. She just rolls over in her bed and covers her head in pillows.

Albus rips open Lily's curtains and walked over to his sister and pulls all the pillows off of her.

Lily rolls around for a few moments. Eventually she regains some sense. "What, Albus?"

"Mom sent me to wake you up. We are leaving for the burrow in one hour. Dad will bring your trunk down, you get the shower next, after James. She also wants you to remember you can't use your accidental magic anymore."

Lily groans, remembering that, now she's going to Hogwarts she's practically a smuggle at home until she's seventeen. The thought is soon tiny compared to the fact that today she goes to _Hogwarts!_

"Thanks, Al," Lily says with a smile. He grins back and walks out of her room. Lily stands and gathers some clothes to wear after she's out of the shower. She chooses a pair of moderate length shorts and a hoodie.

Lily waits to hear James's shower turn off. While she does, she looks at herself in the mirror. She has her fathers eyes. She always liked that. She also liked that, even though she is only eleven, she had a lot of quidditch related muscle. She only began playing as a seeker recently. Before that she had been a beater, against her mothers wishes, but a few years ago everyone agreed Hugo is a dreadful seeker and Lily was given the position, much to her fathers delight. Lily still played beater though, usually to help Victorie practice. Nobody thought _she_ would be a beater and apparently (Lily had only heard this in a story, as she was three years old) Bill almost had a heart attack when she sent a letter home her first year about her new position on the Gryfindor quidditch team.

It was only a few minutes until she heard her brother's shower turn off. Lily climbed in and allowed herself to think about her conversation with James the night before.

James made Lily feel much better, he always did, but never had one of their conversations put such a... controversial thought in her head. Of course she wanted to be in Gryfindor.

_Had Rose thought the same thing?_

Lily was startled by her own thought. Slytherin? Her? No.

_Are you sure?_

"Of course I am," She says out loud.

_Great. Now I'm talking to myself._

Lily pushes Hogwarts out of her mind again as she washes her messy, black, Potter hair. After a few minutes Lily turns off the shower and steps out to dry off. Normally she would have used magic but now...

_Welcome to the life of a squib, Lily._

_A squib, _she thought as she began to brush her teeth, _wouldn't _that_ be terrible. _

Lily doesn't take much longer getting ready. When she arrives downstairs later, she witnesses her mother violently trying to control James's hair.

"Mum! Get off!" He yells. Lily suspects he's bound to the kitchen chair he sits on with magic because he's fighting really hard and getting nowhere. She giggles at the scene. Her mother is standing behind James with her wand in one hand, a can of hairspray in the other and a brush between her teeth.

When Ginny hears her daughter's laugh, she looks up, startled, and drops the brush on James's head.

"Ow! Mum!"

Ginny puts down her haircare products and scoops Lily up in her arms and begins gushing about how big she is getting and she's so excited that her "baby" is going to Hogwarts.

Over her mother's shoulder, Lily watches as James continues to struggle to get free.

At some point, Albus wanders into the kitchen and bursts out laughing at his siblings predicaments. Lily glares at him and waits for her mother to put her down.

When Ginny finally does, she starts sobbing because all of her children are getting so big. Then she looks at Albus's crazed hair, remembers James, and starts on him again.

In the last minute rush to get ready to leave the house, James manages to "accidentally" burn off two inches of Lily's hair in a prank meant for Dominique. Then Albus sets the smoke alarm off trying to cook bacon, and as Lily laughs at him, she trips backwards into the pile of trunks, knocking them over.

So it was a fairly good day for the Potters.

They quickly leave the house to avoid any more problems. When they arrive at the Burrow, all of the are greeted by Grandma Weasley. She is on them in seconds, forcing them to eat and streaking about how big they are, and _What are your parents feeding you!? _Lily endures it as she always does, smiles, as she does enjoy it, and eat as much as she can.

"Ronald, really? Stop scaring the poor boy!"

"Hermione, stop nagging me. I just said-"

"You _said _that if he wasn't in Gryfindor you'd _disown _him!"

"He knows it was a jo-"

"And how do you think your daughter feels?"

Lily looks around the room at everyone as they heard her Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron bickering in the other room. When they do come in, Harry and Ginny start laughing as Lily goes to hug Hugo. Everyone greats each other and they all sit down to eat even more sitting at the big dining table that's only used when the whole family is getting together. Slowly everyone arrives and they all enjoy a nice breakfast together.

The last group to arrive George, Angelina, Fred, and Roxanne. When they do, there's an explosion of fireworks.

"George Weasley," Molly scolds , using magic to put everything back in it's place.

"Morning, mum. Oi! What was that for?" George rubs the back of his head where she had hit him with a spatula.

"For nearly blowing up the house!"

"But I didn't... Ow! Again?"

Lily giggles and her Uncle George picks her up and places her on his shoulders.

"Morning, Lily Loo." He says. He places her back in her chair and she goes back to her toast. Hugo taps her on the shoulder.

"Lily?"

"Yeah, Hugo?" She responds, taking another bite of toast.

"Will my dad _really_ disown me if I'm not in Gryfindor?" He asks. If he hadn't said it so seriously, Lily would have thought he was joking. She chews slowly to give her more time to think.

"Of course not, Hugo. He said the same thing to Rose and they're as close as ever."

Hugo sighs and looks satisfied with the answer. Lily smiles and takes a sip of orange juice.

* * *

By ten o' clock everyone is ready to get into the Weasley/Potter car. Lily smiles as she approaches it. It looks small on the outside, but on the inside it's as big as a muggle school bus.

They very rarely drove in the car, most of the time the whole family didn't travel together, but since this was the first trip to Hogwarts for the baby's of the family, Lily, Hugo, and Lucy, Grandma Weasley thought this would be a good family idea. As if the Weakly Weasley Dinner wasn't enough.

While everyone races into the car to get a good seat, Lily and Hugo walk at a normal pace and take the seats in the middle. Lily lets Hugo have the window seat so she can talk to Victorie Lupin (Nee Weasley), whom they sat across the isle from.

"Hey, Vic," Lily says once the car started moving.

"Lily! How are you? Excited for your first year at Hogwarts?" Lily smiles at Victorie's overly friendliness, something she loved about her.

"I'm good, you?" And they begin making small talk. They talk about her wedding last month, how beautiful everything was and how gorgeous she looked. Lily senses that she's holding something back, but knowing Vic, Lily would find out soon.

"Sometimes I wish you were my sister, Lily," She says with a laugh, "You're lucky, Teddy."

Lily smiles at him. Teddy had lived with her parents since he was three when his grandmother, who cared for him, died. He's always been like a brother to her. They are close, just not as close as her and James.

After that, Lily relaxes in her seat for the last ten minutes or so. By ten forty-five they had arrived at the station and were working on getting all the trunks onto a cart and to their owners.

Somewhere in the madness, Teddy hands Lily a letter and whispers, "don't open this until you're at school and alone." Lily slips it into an outside pocket of her trunk.

By the time they get to the actual train station it was nearly ten fifty-five. Getting onto the train was such a blur. Lily makes sure to kiss her parents goodbye before she races onto the train.

Everyone splits up once they are on the actual train. They all go to sit with friends from their own house. Lily and Hugo chose to sit with Rose.

Everything finally starts to calm down once the train starts moving.

"Hey, Rose," Lily says.

Rose smiles at her but continues to stare out of the compartment.

Lily continues to stare out the window for a bit. When she hears the compartment door slide open, she turns.

Standing outside in the corridor is a girl she recognizes as Levi Heart, one of Rose's best friends, a tall blonde boy and a pale, young girl behind him.

"Rose," the boy greets curtly. Rose smiles and looks ecstatic to see him. Levi sits next to Hugo and across from Rose, the boy sits between Lily and Rose and the girl sits across from Lily.

"Scorpius, this is my cousin, Lily," Rose gestures towards her, "and my brother Hugo."

"Lily Potter?" Scorpius asks, completely unreadable.

"Yes, Scorpius. Lily Potter." Rose answers.

Lily doesn't hear much of their conversation. All she was thinking was _this is Scorpius _Malfoy_? The one my brothers hate?_

"Well, Lily and Hugo, this is my sister, Scarlet." Scoprius says, pointing at the blond girl. She smiles and blushes.

"_Sister!? _I thought she was your cousin, or something! I didn't know Malfoy girls existed," Levi says with a laugh.

"Yeah, Scorpius, when did you plan on telling us?" Rose asks, joining Levi's laughter.

"When she came to Hogwarts," He says with a shrug. Rose rolls her eyes at him.

"Seriously though, what gives?" Rose asks.

"My father doesn't like girls," Scarlet says, speaking for the first time.

"Neither does mine," Levi says. Rose and Scorpius find this really funny. Lily doesn't get it.

Scarlet seems more relaxed. Levi has a way of doing that.

"So," Scorpius starts, "are we looking at two new Gryfindors right now? I mean, you are related to the _golden trio," _he mocks.

Rose playfully slaps him. "So am _I_"

"Hush, Rosie. Should I take the silence and green faces as a yes?"

Lily blushes as she looks up at Scorpius. He is wearing a smirk that makes Lily a little nervous. _Does it ever go away?_

"I'd love to be in Gryfindor," Hugo says, overenthusiastic. Lily smiles, glad she wasn't the first to speak. She knew Hugo was trying to prove (to himself more then anyone else) that he did belong in Gryfindor. Lily has no doubt Hugo does.

Lily started thinking about her own traits. She wasn't really brave, she was just good at hiding her emotions. She was also really creative. She liked to think she was hard-working and resourceful. These are all traits of the other houses.

"What about you, Lily?" Levi asks. Lily jumps slightly, as she was so emerged in her thoughts.

"I mean- yes- of course. I do want to be in Gryfindor," Lily stutters her way through. Rose and Levi begin picking Lily apart, trying to chose her house.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Scorpius commands. Both Rose and Levi immediately get quiet. Lily is secretly very grateful.

The silence that follows is extremely awkward. Finally, Scorpius speaks, "there is no question of what house Scarlet will be in. She is the most Slytherin-like person ever."

Scarlet looks really happy, as if her brother saying that really meant something to her. Lily tried to compare that to if her brother said she would definitely be a Gryfindor.

Soon everyone settles into a conversation. Rose, Levi, and Scorpius talk about quidditch (they are all on their house teams, Levi is the Gryfindor keeper and Rose and Scorpius are Slytherin chasers). Scarlet awkwardly joins Hugo and Lily talking about Hogwarts.

The rest of the ride is peaceful.

* * *

By the time the train arrives at Hogwarts, Lily feels like she's going to throw up. She was finally here, at Hogwarts!

Hugo, Lily and Scarlet, with whom the two had become somewhat friendly with, began to walk off the train together.

"Lily, Hugo!" The two turn around to see Nathaniel Creevey running towards them.

"Hi, Nathan," Lily greats. He smiles.

"Long time, no see." Hugo says. They all laugh.

"This is Scarlet," Lily introduces. Nathan turns to see her. Both of there eyes turn cold.'

"We know each other," she says curtly.

"Malfoy," Nathan acknowledges.

"Creevey," She says back.

"Firs' years!" They hear being yelled. Scarlet turns quickly away from Nathan and towards Hagrid, the speaker. Her waist length platinum blond hair fans out behind her. Lily and Hugo look at each other and understand what each other are thinking. Lily nods before jogging to catch up to Scarlet while Hugo stays behind with Nathan.

"Scarlet, wait up!" Lily yells. Scarlet slows down just enough for Lily to catch up.

"I'm really sorry, Lily. You and Hugo were so nice to me. I just can't stand him."

"Scarlet, its okay. Everyone has someone like that. Like me and my cousin Louis. We argue about anything we can. Our parents hate it." Lily smiles and Scarlet smiles back.

"Lily," Hagrid calls, "Ov'r here!" Lily and Scarlet giggle and run towards him.

"Hi, Hagrid," Lily greats.

"Where's Hugo?" He asks.

"Oh, back there with Nathan Creevey." Lily says.

"An' who's this?"

"I'm Scarlet," she says proudly. Lily guesses that she doesn't like being knows as Scarlet _Malfoy_.

"Well yeh two are goin' to love Hogwarts. Profess'r Chang is the bes' young headmistress that the school has ev'r known, I think."

"Professor Chang? She was in school with my parents, right?" Lily asks.

"Yeah. She was a ye'r ahead of yer fadder. She's nothing compared to Abus Dumbledore o' course." Hagrid laughs.

They walk quietly for a few moments.

"Lily!" She turns to see Hugo running towards her as fast as he can.

"Hey, Hugh"

"Heller Hugo," Hagrid greats.

"Where's Nathan?" Lily asks.

"Oh he ran off with Jenny Wood. I can't stand her."

Once they reach the boats, Lily, Scarlet, and Hugo get in one together. They don't talk much until they see the castle in view. Everyone around them sounds amazed.

"Wow!"

"It's so big!"

"And beautiful!"

Even Scarlet, who barely talked at all, says, "It's a very beautiful old building."

Lily watches the castle grow larger and larger as they get closer. She thinks about how this castle is going to be her home for the next seven years.

Once the boats arrive at the shore and dock themselves, Hagrid walks the first years into the school through the main doors. They collect outside the great hall.

"All right, jus' wait here, all of yeh." Hagrid says before disappearing into the great hall.

Once Hagrid is gone the kids all start talking at once.

"Quiet down, everyone. Quickly now," Neville Longbottem says, coming out of the Great Hall. His long purple coak sweeps behind him. The children immediately recognize his authority and fall silent.

"Good evening first years. My name is Professor Longbottem and I teach Herbology here at Hogwarts. Soon you will all sit down and enjoy a beautiful feast, but before that, you all must be sorted into your houses." Excited whispering breaks out amongst the children.

"I've never been so worried before," Lily whispers to Hugo.

"Yes, students, it's very exciting," Neville says, gaining their attention again. "These houses will be your family for your time at Hogwarts. You eat with them, sleep with them and your good- and bad- deeds effect them as well as you. The four houses are Gryfindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I am head of Gryfindor house," He finishes proudly. "If you'll all come with me.

"It's going to be so weird calling him Professor Longbottom." Hugo says to Lily.

"Why?" Scarlet asks, curious.

"He's a really close family friend," Lily explains, "We're used to calling him Neville."

"It must be worse for Caleb and Cara," Hugo says, "His children. Cara is in our year" He adds for Scarlet.

Neville opens the door to the great hall. All the first years are awed. Lily looks up at the ceiling. She remembers her Aunt Hermione telling her all kinds of things about Hogwarts, but for now all she could see is how beautiful everything is.

When they reach the front of the room, all the first years group in the center of the aisle between the house tables and the high table.

Lily watches a wide tear in the hat, which was on a tall wooden stool, become a mouth. It began to sing. Once the song was over everyone claps and cheers.

"When I call your name, come up here and sit on the stool," Neville says, "Avery, Collin."

Lily zones out during the majority of the sorting. Occasionally she hears a name, but she's not fully listening.

"Malfoy, Scarlet!" A bunch of people start to whisper, Scarlet ignores them and happily sits on the stool.

"Slytherin!" Scarlet smiles and hops down and head s towards the table on the far right.

Lily zones out again until she hears;

"Potter, Lily!"

Lily jumps slightly then slowly walks up to the stool. Neville smiles at her until he drops the hat on her head The last thing Lily hears is James out in the tables. He smiles, then everything dark.

"Hm, another Potter. You're not like your brothers, are you, Lily? Very creative, very smart. Ravenclaw maybe?"

Lily tries her best to avoid thinking in order to not sway the hat's decision. She wanted to be put where she belongs.

"You're loyal, though. Very loyal. Daring, too. Where to put you?"

The hat doesn't say much for a long time. Lily gets more and more worried _Why aren't you saying anything?_

"Not very patient, are we? You must be the most ambitious person I've seen yet, though. You're dedicated, resourceful, hard-working... but where to put you?"

Lily realizes it had to be at least 3 minutes (it was actually 5).

"Not Gryfindor," the hat says suddenly, "what do you think Lily Potter?"

_Am I smart enough for Ravenclaw?_

"We often doubt our own ability, Lily. I know exactly where to put you."

_Am I a Ravenclaw?_

"No, Lily Potter, you are a-"

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat yells to the hall.

Lily doesn't know what to think. The applause is very delayed, but finally huge. Older Slytherins are screaming, laughing, and cheering. The new ones in her year didn't approve and it was obvious the other houses were unhappy.

Lily slowly, as if in a dream, walks to the Slytherin table. She ignores Hugo and pushes past him. On her way to the table she catches James's eye.

The look is cold. Filled with anger sadness and betrayal.

The seat is cold when Lily reaches it. She sits across from Scarlet, next to Scorpius The only thing Lily hears is Hugo being sorted into Gryfindor. Scorpius notices Lily looking at James's back and leans down to whisper in her ear.

"Welcome to the dark side, sweetheart."


End file.
